Dr. Arum Kim: Exploring Medical Cannabis, Part 2

RUSK Insights on Rehabilitation Medicine

PART TWO

In Part 1, Dr. Kim presented information about the historical and legal background for cannabis, variations in policies in the states, and the status of current research. In Part 2, she discussed cancer pain that is not neuropathic. She described the results of a study that involved opioid refractory cancer pain. Evidence currently shows that patients who have increased access to cannabis actually have higher rates of opioid overdose and deaths. She reviewed a case of one of her patients who had prostate cancer. This individual was not amenable to physical therapy and was weaned off opioids because they were not effective. Finally, they decided to try different types of cannabis for pain and sleep and he is doing quite well. He eventually used a combination of low and high THC capsules and was weaned off all other drugs. She and her colleagues also looked at how patients considered the use of cannabinoid therapy and found that overall they preferred it for their future chemo. Even though cannabis is a natural product, it is not true that it is free of side effects. There is some concern that it can have interactions on the heart, result in psychotic symptoms, affect psychomotor performance, and lead to an increase in tolerance, making it necessary to use higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect. A question-and-answer period followed her presentation.